Flavors
by NamelessSaint
Summary: Alice goes in search of the Queen after her unsuccessful conversation with Absolem, and finds Mirana's special candy.


Flavors

Alice turned away from Absolem feeling even more dejected than before her entry into Marmoreal. She was hoping to find answers here; ones that would calm her frazzled nerves and provide a lovely contrast to Iracebeth's mad castle. But the caterpillar remained elusive and the White Queen seemed to holding back from revealing to her all that she knew.

The White Queen. She was such a stark opposite from her sister, who seemed to be excessively bitter and yet petulant at the same time. Mirana was none of those things, and seemed to be hiding an inner—what was it? Wisdom? Alice thought that that answer wasn't sufficient in and of itself. There was just something about her that was—alluring.

Alice paused and then blinked, as if forcing herself awake for the first time since arriving at Underland. Alluring? Where did that notion come from? And this conception, instead of providing her with comfort, seemed to bring forth from her an old feeling of distress. The same kind of distress she felt whenever her mother tried to introduce to her a possible suitor. She did not know what part of that occurrence was the most distressing; having to consider the notion of being courted by a young man—or the simple fact of being courted. Why was she even thinking about such a thing in Mirana's castle? Why was the idea of being courted suddenly being shoved to the forefront of her thoughts? Surely she didn't think that…

Alice didn't complete her thought, because if she did it would only lead her to a place she did not want to be at. She looked up suddenly as the twilight was slowly receding into night and the last rays of the sun sank below the mountain ranges. The song of the crickets came to life and swarms of fireflies flew over the treetops, their particular luminescence competing with the first twinkling stars.

It was the beginning of quite a lovely night and Alice suddenly became aware of the fact that she was hungry. Strange, this intense feeling of being famished as if she was really awake and not in a dream. She wondered if one was capable of starving to death in a dream only to wake being quite alive. She paused again at the strange thoughts and then left to enter the castle in the hopes of finding the White Queen, and some supper.

* * *

As she wandered the halls she noticed the lack of activity. Where were all the courtiers that she had seen earlier? And there were no frog footmen, either. They too seemed to have disappeared for the evening hours. Alice listened at many closed doors but could not hear anything, and she did not have the courage to open any of the closed doors that she paused at. Just as she was beginning to lose hope on finding anything she came across a door that was partially opened.

Alice stopped at this door and listened. She could hear the familiar sound of flames crackling on dry wood and slowly opened the door and stepped inside what could only have been a private parlor of some sort. A huge fireplace was built into the wall opposite the door and was ablaze with a warm fire. She stepped into the room and noticed the massive marble bookcases on the opposing walls piled high with books and off to the corner of the room stood a large cedar desk and chair. She slowly approached the desk and noticed an inkwell and feather pen set off to one side of it. And right next to pen she recognized a seal of some sort and wax. Also on the desk was a large glass bowl filled with many small carefully wrapped parcels of many colors.

It was then that the reality of the room hit her hard; she was in the Queen's private office. The official seal gave it away immediately so she turned abruptly to go but stopped suddenly at the large glass bowl. She noticed a particular aroma coming from it and recognized it immediately, vanilla. It was then that she realized those small parcels were probably candy and so she picked one up and inhaled the morsel. She opened the wrapper and popped it into her mouth. She sighed immediately as the taste of strawberry and vanilla slowly melted onto her eager tongue. She felt her hunger pangs even more so as she crunched on the hard candy. Without realizing it she had reached out again and now tasted another candy, this one was so completely different than the other one and she recognized the taste of both mint and chocolate. She smiled to herself and was prepared to reach for another when a quiet voice stopped her.

"They are quite lovely, are they not?"

* * *

Alice turned abruptly at that voice and was greeted by the White Queen who was standing in the doorway, her beauty enhanced by the warm orange flames from the fireplace. And Alice felt it again, that certain feeling of distress that had nothing to do with being in danger. Or maybe it was a danger of a different kind, one that was not altogether unpleasant.

"I'm sorry." She regretted the small words as soon as they left her mouth, as it made her appear pitiful. "I mean, I did not mean to intrude, your Majesty." Alice cringed on the inside and hoped the Queen would ignore her flustered look.

Mirana merely smiled at the young woman and pretended not to notice. "I see you have found my special candy."

Alice reached out quickly and grabbed another one. It was in her mouth in an instant. "They are wonderful, your Majesty."

"More than wonderful, I think." The Queen appeared to glide over the floor and then stopped at her desk. She, too, reached out and took a piece of candy. "This one is so good—brandy, I believe." She giggled. "Brandy before supper, how naughty of me."

For some inexplicable reason Alice, too, wanted to taste the forbidden liqueur. "May I have one of those?"

Mirana eyed Alice in a way that made the younger woman blush somewhat. "Of course, Alice. Here."

Alice took the candy and plopped it into her mouth. The candy melted in no time and was soon bathing her tongue in its warmth. "Oh, my." She smiled at the Queen and then realized this was the first time she ever tasted liquor.

Mirana reached into the bowl and pulled out two small, round candies in tan wrapper with purple ribbon. "This is a fine cordial." She handed one to Alice and smiled.

Alice tasted the candy and then made a strange face. "This is perfect. Is it anise?"

"Oh, yes, dear girl. With a hint of licorice, I believe." Mirana savored her candy and closed her eyes as its warmth rolled down her throat.

And, as sometimes happens, the Queen found a several more cordials for Alice to try, all to the delight of both of them. Finally she reached down into the bowl and pulled up two particularly large round candies and then chuckled to herself as she handed the black package to Alice.

Alice, who, having not had any supper and was feeling rather queer, took the candy from the Queen and plopped into her mouth with a slosh. "What is this? Oh…my…"

Mirana swayed somewhat as she ate her own candy, for she had not eaten any supper herself, and tried to remember the question. "Cognac? Yes, oh yes. Cognac." She leaned against her desk and began to hum a little tune.

Alice tried to focus her attention on the melody coming from the Queen but could not quite get herself together. "Ahhh…"

Mirana tried to reach into the bowl again and missed. This caused a few more rather loud chuckles and she tried again. She picked out a rather plain candy with a white and blue wrapper. "Want some more?" But instead of handing the candy to Alice she put one wrapped end of it in her mouth and smiled.

Alice, who at this point felt up to the challenge, managed to make her way over to the Queen without falling over. She, too, put the other end of the wrapper into her mouth and smiled back at Mirana.

They both chuckled and then Alice wrapped both arms around the Queen's waist in order to steady herself. The effect on both of them was immediate. All frivolity aside, they both sobered enough to realize the proximity of the other and both their smiles faded into something more intimate.

Now, Mirana had always known that she was attracted to the feminine form, and began to look upon the younger woman in a new light. And, Alice, who deep down inside knew she was not attracted to those strapping young men, suddenly found a deep appreciation for the older woman's ample breasts.

Alice groaned, and she slowly took the candy and unwrapped it. She placed it in her mouth and looked into the Queen's eyes. "Guess what flavor?"

"I don't guess." Mirana felt the heat and slowly lowered her head until her lips barely grazed Alice's. She whispered. "Let me taste."

And Alice, too, felt the heat and her lips parted somewhat as she pressed them firmly against the Queens' mouth.

Mirana's tongue tentatively touched Alice's, and then she deepened the kiss until both were completely lost in each other. She leaned back further into the desk and parted her legs so Alice could stand between them. After several glorious moments they both broke apart to stare wondrously at the other, panting. "It's white chocolate."

Alice leaned her forehead onto Mirana's. "And blueberry—don't forget the blueberry."

"Yes—white chocolate, blueberry flavor."

Alice pressed her body more firmly against the Queen's and felt the heat between her legs, as well. "You…you…"

"May I taste the candy again?"

And Alice let Mirana taste the candy for several more minutes as it serendipitously passed between them. Supper was long forgotten, and a few more things were tasted that night that delighted both of them until the wee hours of the morning, when they both collapsed on the bed and fell into each other and into a love that would last forever. And a Queen found her Champion, at last.

* * *

_**Based on the artwork "Vanilla-Blueberry Flavour" by the sweet artist, Elsaaaa on deviantArt.**_


End file.
